LA Galaxy player David Beckham during the match against Pheonix at Westpac Stadium.

David Beckham #23 of Los Angeles Galaxy poses with his sons Brooklyn Beckham, Cruz Beckham and Romeo Beckham after the Galaxy defeat the Houston Dynamo 3-1 to win the 2012 MLS Cup at The Home Depot Center on December 1, 2012 in Carson, California.

Professional soccer player David Beckham, wife Victoria Beckham and sons (L-R) Cruz, Romeo and Brooklyn Beckham arrive at the 27th Anniversary Sports Spectacular benefiting Cedars-Sinai Medical Genetics Institute at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on May 20, 2012 in Century City, California.

David Beckham of AC Milan during the Serie A match between AC Milan and AC Chievo Verona at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on March 14, 2010 in Milan, Italy.

David Beckham the England Captain takes a free kick during the International Friendly match between England and Hungary at Old Trafford on May 30, 2006 in Manchester, England.

avid Beckham of Real Madrid celebrates Real Madrid's opening goal during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Real Madrid and Olympic Marseille on September 16, 2003 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

David Beckham of Manchester United taking a free-kick during the AXA FA Cup semi-final match against Arsenal played at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. The match finished in a 0-0 draw after extra-time was played.

Manchester United and England star David Beckham and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson help launch the One Dream Day and Pepsi Player Party Promotions held at Carrington, in Manchester, England on April 26, 2002.

England's David Beckham celebrates his goal against Azerbaijan in their group six World Cup qualifying soccer match at St. James' Park in Newcastle in this March 30, 2005 photo.

Paris Saint-Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham celebrate at the end of their team's French Ligue 1 soccer match against Olympique Lyon at the Gerland stadium in Lyon May 12, 2013. Paris Saint-Germain secured the French Ligue 1 soccer Championships title after beating Olympique Lyon 0-1 on Sunday in Lyon.

The Oceania All Stars take on the LA Galaxy at Mount Smart stadium featuring superstar David Beckham.

David Beckham and Victoria Beckham sit in the Royal Box during the Gentlemen's Singles final match between Roger Federer of Switzerland and Andy Murray of Great Britain on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 8, 2012 in London.

GOING OUT ON TOP: David Beckham jumps into the arms of Zlatan Ibrahimovich as Paris Saint Germain clinched the French league title. Beckham, who also won domestic titles with Manchester United, Real Madrid and the LA Galaxy, will retire from football at the end of this season.

Even as he announced his retirement at the age of 38, four years after his 115th and last cap, David Beckham probably scoured Roy Hodgson's latest England squad for his name, proudly and defiantly "available for selection" to the end.

Though denigrated for his superstar lifestyle and condemned as nothing more than a vehicle for shifting club shirts in the latter stages of his glittering, peripatetic career, Beckham remained a hugely popular figure throughout his homeland, to fans of all allegiances.

The fundamental reason was that, despite the tsunami of advertising, branding and showbusiness that accompanied his every move, he just loved playing football and loved playing football for England most of all.

"I just want people to see me as a hard-working footballer, someone that's passionate about the game, every time I've stepped on a pitch I've given everything that I have," he said after announcing his retirement on Thursday.

"At the end of my career that's how I look back on it and hope people see me."

Three years ago former England boss Fabio Capello said he thought the then-35-year-old was "probably a bit too old" for international football, but Beckham, nicknamed Golden Balls, refused to close the door.

"I will never retire from international football," he said. "If I never get picked again or whether I get picked for one more game or 10 more games I'll be available."

In the latter years of his England career, when he had become a peripheral figure, the announcement of his name over the Wembley PA was nevertheless guaranteed to induce the loudest roar.

When he joined the fray for the final 32 minutes of what turned out to be his last international, a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Belarus, the stadium erupted.

It was not always such a harmonious relationship, however.

In 1998 he was booed throughout the country and his effigy hung from lamp-posts for the crime of petulantly kicking Diego Simeone and earning a red card during the last-16 World Cup defeat by Argentina.

Despite being public enemy number one, Beckham retained his dignity, returned to Old Trafford and poured his energies into his game.

He was a terrific all-round player with a great range of passing and a deadly eye for free kicks but his unique selling point was an almost uncanny ability to deliver mouth-wateringly inviting crosses from every position.

The film in his name was called "Bend it like Beckham" but the key factor was that nobody could.

A year after the pain of his St Etienne red card he was celebrating helping Manchester United to their remarkable treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, while he continued his international rehabilitation with ever-more authoritative displays.

He was first given the honour of captaining his country under caretaker coach Peter Taylor and he held the armband for the next six years, during which time he became the heartbeat of the team.

His inspired, freakishly energised display in the 2002 World Cup qualifier against Greece at Old Trafford, when his last-gasp free kick earned the draw that sent England to the finals, was probably the most memorable of his 115 internationals.

His stock mirrored the team's as he converted a penalty to gain national and personal World Cup revenge over Argentina in the group stage of the 2002 tournament only to contribute to Brazil's key goal en route to a quarter-final exit soon after.

His skied penalty in the quarter-final shootout defeat by Portugal in Euro 2004 was another painful moment, as were his touchline tears two years later when England lost to the same opposition at the same stage in the World Cup in Germany.

Distraught, he gave up the captaincy and when Steve McClaren took over as England manager he tried to make a statement of intent by dropping Beckham.

Beckham barely murmured, saying only that he remained available should the situation change.

A year later, still tearing up trees for Real Madrid, McClaren had no option but to recall him.

He went on to pass the 100 caps mark and eventually reach 115, a England record for an outfield player and topped only by the 125 of goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

Even though a ruptured achilles ruled out any chance of a last hurrah at the 2010 World Cup, Beckham jumped at the chance to help out the manager who had dropped him.

Acting as a "player liaison" he said he would happily carry the kit if it helped England succeed.

By then he had moved to the United States, again ignoring the fusillade of criticism that he was doing it only for money.

True enough, LA Galaxy earned a massive worldwide profile on the back of the deal but ask any of his team mates if they thought Beckham was there for a cushy retirement and you would get short shrift.

He duly helped Galaxy to successive MLS titles, while keeping his hand in back in Europe with loan spells in Milan, before leaving California for good for his final port of call at Paris St Germain.

He announced that he would donate all his salary to charity and at the end of his first season PSG were champions and Beckham, having also tasted glory with United and Real, became the first Englishman to win domestic titles in four countries.

By then, of course, his fame and fortune had spread beyond the wildest of wild dreams of the London schoolboy who always wanted to join United.

From the nervy, high-pitched youngster, the butt of easy jokes, Beckham developed into a smoothly articulate statesmen.

He was as comfortable alongside world leaders as he helped London's bid to land the 2012 Olympics as he was kicking a rag ball around with dirt-poor children on visits to the townships of South Africa.

Such is Beckham's wholesome image he was recently roped in as China's global soccer ambassador to repair the game's stained reputation there after a match-rigging scandal.

Last month he was named Britain's richest sportsman while his former pop star-turned designer wife Victoria is a multi-millionaire industry in her own right.

The fame and ridiculous fortune, however, have never been his driving force.

Earlier this year, having trained with Arsenal in a bid to keep sharp after leaving LA Galaxy, manager Arsene Wenger summed up the twice world player of the year runner-up thus:

"This guy has fantastic quality and has done the maximum in his career. Why? Because he loves football."

BEX'S TROPHY CASE

A look at the titles won by David Beckham, who said he will retire from football at the end of the season:

2009 - Joins AC Milan on loan; Wins 109th cap to break Bobby Moore's record for an outfield player, makes 115th and final appearance against Belarus.

2010 - Tears Achilles tendon and misses World Cup.

2011 - Wins MLS Cup with Galaxy.

2012 - Re-signs with Galaxy and wins second MLS Cup.

2013 - Signs five-month contract with Paris Saint-Germain, donating salary to a children's charity; PSG clinches French league title, Beckham becomes first Englishman to win league titles in four different countries.

DAVID BECKHAM FACTBOX

Here is a look at the life and career of former England captain David Beckham who announced his retirement:

EARLY LIFE

- Beckham was born on May 2, 1975 in London. He joined Manchester United as a 16-year-old trainee in 1991. By 1995 he became a regular during the club's most successful era.

- They won the Premier League and FA Cup double during his first full season. During the 1996/97 campaign he scored from the halfway line in an opening day victory over Wimbledon.

- In 1999 the team went one further, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble.

ENGLAND CAREER

- Beckham made his England debut on Sept. 1, 1996 in a World Cup qualifier against Moldova. Two years later he scored in the finals against Colombia but went home from France in disgrace after being sent off for kicking out at Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone in a last-16 defeat.

- In England, Beckham was widely blamed for the defeat and slammed by the tabloid newspapers.

- Beckham captained England on the first of 58 occasions against Italy in a friendly in November 2000 and the next year booked them a place in the 2002 World Cup finals with a stunning injury-time free kick, salvaging a 2-2 draw against Greece. England were knocked out by Brazil in the quarter-finals.

- In 2006, he resigned as England captain after his side lost in the World Cup quarter-finals to Portugal, who knocked them out at the same stage of Euro 2004.

- Beckham returned to the team a year later and earned 115 caps, an England outfield record. His last international appearance was against Belarus at Wembley in October 2009.

- Beckham missed playing for England at the 2010 World Cup after he ruptured his Achilles tendon while on loan at AC Milan in March. Manager Fabio Capello asked him to accompany the team in an advisory role and announced that he would not be picked for England's attempt to qualify for Euro 2012.

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NEW CLUBS

- Beckham signed for Real Madrid from United for 25 million pounds ($41 million) in 2003 and after the Spanish club went three seasons without a major trophy, the team won the league title in 2007.

- He joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in July 2007 in a mega-money deal in a bid to promote soccer in the United States.

- Beckham won a second successive Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup at the end of 2012 and went back to Europe where he trained with Arsenal, although club manager Arsene Wenger said they were not interested in signing him.

NEW ROLE

- In March, China named Beckham as its first global football ambassador to revive the game's image there. Soccer in China was hit by a match-fixing scandal and an exodus of international stalwarts from the country's premier league. In his new role, Beckham, would be expected to help bring Chinese Super League (CSL) to the world stage and promote the game in the world's most populous country.

PARIS ST GERMAIN

- After rumours in 2011 that Beckham was joining PSG - sports daily L'Equipe ran a front page saying "Le Voile!" (Here he comes!), - he finally joined the Parisian club in January 2013 on a five-month deal. Beckham also announces his salary at PSG will be donated to a children's charity in Paris.

- Beckham enjoyed a promising French league debut for PSG in February, enjoying warm crowd support in a late cameo during the 2-0 home victory over Olympique Marseille.

- Last month he picked up a straight red card as Paris St Germain continued their march towards a first French league title. They finally won that first championship in 19 years last Sunday with a 1-0 win at Olympique Lyon - with Beckham coming on in added time.

- He becomes first English player to win league titles in four different countries - Manchester United (England), Real Madrid (Spain), LA Galaxy (US) and PSG (France).

OFF THE PITCH

- Beckham met Victoria Adams in the mid-1990s when she was a member of pop group the Spice Girls. The perfect media match-up, the couple were instantly catapulted into the limelight.

- Beckham and Adams married in July 1999, a few months after their first son Brooklyn was born. They have three other children.